


Worlds change, but people don't

by JenJo



Category: Avengers Academy (Video Game), Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Chapter 1 is Witch AU, Chapter 2 is Avengers Academy AU, M/M, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-07 13:00:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11059497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenJo/pseuds/JenJo
Summary: Chapter 1:Tony and Bucky have a date at a cafe. They are also witches.Chapter 2:Tony & Bucky's pining is so legendary even the Time Fog gets involved.





	1. Coffee Shop

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mitochondrials](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitochondrials/gifts).



> So..... Hi!  
> Your prompts were, in a word, amazing.  
> So amazing, they produced these two stories.  
> (And a third.... which is actually sitting at almost 10K and still growing)
> 
> First chapter: Established Relationship; Coffee Shop; Witch AU.  
> Second Chapter: Avengers Academy; mutual pining; pure ridiculousness.
> 
> Enjoy

 

 

Tony closed his eyes, breathing in the smell of coffee that permeated the air around him. There weren’t many places he’d rather be, than at the  _ Wasp’s Nest _ , the  _ best  _ coffee house in America.

(Tony had been to every coffee house in America; he could state this fact.)

Jan had opened up the  _ Wasp’s Nest  _ three years ago, and it had quickly built up a regular clientele.

Jan had quickly hired enough staff to allow her to work whatever hours she wished, as well as allowing all her employees to have the shifts they wanted. Even then, Jan still spent most days in the cafe.  

And it would come to a surprise to no one that her first customer, and her most regular, was her longest friend, Tony Stark.

He had helped out in the beginning, as well as whenever Jan needed help.

(Apparently the location messed with her magic; sometimes Tony suspected that that was a cover to get him out of his own office.)

Snapping the fingers of his left hand, Tony opened his eyes to a freshly brewed cup of coffee. 

“Thought I told you to stop that.”

Tony smiled at Jan, who had appeared in the seat opposite him. 

(Whatever it was that affected her magic, didn’t affect Jan’s ability to appear and disappear at will.)

“Jan, lovely to see you.”

“Tony…” Jan pointed at the cup.

“Your barista said five minutes until the pot was ready,” Tony shrugged, picking up the cup. “I am a busy man.”

“Uh huh,” Jan nodded, not buying his story for a second. “See, I know you’re not; you’re waiting for that man of yours.”

Tony smiled at Jan over the top of his cup. “Busy work.”

Jan shook her head fondly. “I have known you for a long time, and I’ve never seen you like this before.”

Tony hid his expression by hiding behind his cup.

Jan’s eyes widened, and she moved to beside Tony. “Your trip to Europe was successful?”   
Tony put down his cup, looking up at Jan. “Maybe?”

Jan smiled, leaning down to hug Tony. “I’m so happy for you!”

“What’re we celebrating?”

Tony and Jan turned to see Bucky sliding into the seat opposite Tony. Jan let go of Tony, and gave Bucky a hug. “Cappuccino?”

“Thank you Jan,” Bucky smiled, before turning his smile on Tony. “The two of you looked quite happy, so I can only assume you’re celebrating something. Well?”

Tony shrugged a shoulder, taking another drink of his coffee. “Not celebrating, exactly. Well, not yet anyway.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow at Tony’s wording. “That’s awfully cryptic, even for you. What’s the matter?”

Tony looked into his cup of coffee, seeming to look for advice. 

(For all Bucky knew, Tony  _ was  _ getting advice from the half finished drink). 

Tony came to a decision, nodding at his coffee before putting the cup down. He conjured a napkin out of thin air, wiping his hands and mouth, before sending the napkin away. 

“Close your eyes,” Tony said, getting out of the chair and standing next to Bucky.

Bucky frowned, looking up at Tony. “Why?”

Tony rolled his eyes fondly, reaching out to run a hand through Bucky’s hair. “You’re cute. Please?”

Bucky also rolled his eyes, but did as asked. 

Tony smiled, holding out his left hand. “Open.”

Bucky opened his eyes, and looked at Tony’s hand.

His hand was empty. He frowned up at Tony, who was frowning down at his hand. 

“Damnit, this was supposed to work,” Tony started muttering, tracing the lines of his left hand with his right index finger.  “It worked this morning, why…” Tony paused, shaking out his hand. The air around it seemed to light up for a brief moment with electricity, and Tony turned a bright smile to Bucky. “Show time.”

This time, Tony clicked the fingers of his right hand over his left palm, and a bolt of electricity shot out. Once the electricity disappeared, Tony was left holding a small, ring-type box. He held it out to Bucky, who took it carefully. Bucky placed the box on the table, reaching out to open it.

He recognised it instantly.

“My…  _ how? _ ”

It was his grandmother’s wedding ring, the one his mother had been forced to sell to look after the family. He thought he would never see it again. 

“After you told me what happened,” Tony said, squatting down so that he was eye level with Bucky, who was still staring at the ring with wonder. “I sent out some feelers. Asked around. Chased down some rumours. Hit more than a couple of loose ends. Last week, it finally came through.”

“Last week, when you went to England.”

“Yup. Went to go pick it up personally.”

“Wait,” Bucky looked up for the first time, turning to face Tony. “I told you that story two years ago. Are you telling me you’ve been looking for it since then?”

Tony nodded, beginning to chew on his lip nervously. “Did I overstep? I feel like-”

What Tony felt like didn’t get said, as Bucky pulled him into a kiss. 

“Thank you,” Bucky, still holding onto tony’s cheek, whispered against his mouth.

Tony swallowed, looking into Bucky’s eyes. “So I didn’t overstep?”

Bucky shook his head, kissing Tony again. “Not a chance. Thank you.”

Tony smiled, pulling back from Bucky reluctantly. “I hate to break this up, but my knees are protesting a bit too much.”

Bucky let go of Tony, who took the chair next to Bucky. Bucky turned back to the ring, still marvelling at it.

“I looked for it for a while, but could never get past the store my mum sold it to.”

Tony took Bucky’s hand, bringing it up to his lips to kiss the back of his palm. “Admittedly, I have certain avenues available to me that you don’t have.”

“He means he did illegal things.”

Both men turned at the same time, to see Natasha sitting in the chair Tony had originally occupied, a cappuccino in her hands. 

“When did you get here?” Tony asked.

Natasha held up the cup of coffee. “In time to bring over Bucky’s cappuccino. Which is quite nice, you should know.”

“Why did you have to reveal my ways?” Tony asked as Natasha passed over the coffee. “I was a knight in shining armour. Figuratively. Now you’ve gone and sullied my name.”

Bucky, who had just taken a mouthful of coffee, spat it out, laughing. He shook his head, looking at the mess he had made.

“Oops,” he said, still laughing as he waved away the mess. He turned to Tony, who was frowning. “My dear, you sullied your name a long time ago. But I still love you.”

Bucky reached out to cup Tony’s cheek, which instantly dropped the frown from his face.

“Okay, I’m out,” Natasha said, standing up. “We still on for tonight?”

“Of course,” Tony answered;  Natasha nodded, before disappearing in a cloud of red smoke. 

“Does she always have to do the red smoke?”

Tony nodded, reaching up to hold Bucky’s hand. “She’s dramatic, what can you do? I love her, but she’s always going to be dramatic for no reason other than she’s Natasha.”

“Fair enough,” Bucky replied, letting go of Tony to pick up the ring. “I dreamt of getting this back, you know? What I’d do if I ever found it.”

“Yeah?” Tony asked, sliding an arm over Bucky’s shoulders. 

Bucky nodded, turning the ring so that it caught the rays of the afternoon sun. “I told myself, if I ever found it, it would be the ring I give to my fiance. Told my mum, asked for permission to do so. She said yes, but I think she might of thought it was just a dream. Of course, I never thought I’d find it, so it was always a nice dream. But now…” Bucky trailed off, turning to face Tony, ring held out between them. “It’s not a dream, is it?”

Tony’s eyes widened, looking between Bucky and the ring. “Are you?”

Bucky nodded. “I am.”

“Yes,” Tony said, looking Bucky in the eyes. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Bucky put the ring on Tony’s finger, before pulling him into a kiss. They broke apart when Tony’s phone starting ringing.

“Answer it,” Bucky said, still holding onto Tony’s hand.

“Stark,” he answered, still looking into Bucky’s eyes.

“ _ Congratulations. _ ”

Tony frowned. “I know you’re psychic Natasha, but how? It literally just happened.”

“ _ Look to your left. _ ”

Tony turned, seeing Jan standing behind the counter, tapping away at her phone. 

“Jan?” he called out, hearing Natasha hang up the phone.

Jan looked up. “Yeah?”

Tony opened his mouth to reply, when his phone vibrated with a message. He opened it, seeing a truly  _ beautiful  _ set of photos of the pair within the last five minutes. Tony turned his phone so that Bucky could see the photos.

“Thank you Jan!” Bucky smiled at Jan, who beamed back. 

“My pleasure!”

Of course, Bucky’s phone began to vibrate with messages of congratulations, as did Tony’s. 

“Jan, we won’t be available by phone for a while. Okay?”

Jan nodded, putting her phone away. “Not a problem. Figured you wouldn’t mind?”

Tony stood up, holding his arms open; Jan took the invitation immediately, rushing over to hug him.

“Congratulations,” she beamed up at him, before turning to hug Bucky. “And to you.”

“Thanks Jan,” Bucky smiled, genuinely thankful for everything she had done. 

Jan then turned them towards the door. “Now go, before the rain gets too bad.”

The two turned their phones off for a while, deciding to take a walk hand in hand as the newly engaged couple that they were. 

(And if Bucky kept a little bit of his attention turned towards keeping the rain away from them as they walked? Who was there to call him out on it?)

(Tony knew; he didn’t say anything, merely wrapping himself tighter around Bucky as they walked.)


	2. AvAc Mutual Pining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their pining is so legendary, even the Time Fog gets involved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I'm eternally glad I added a Bucky's Poetry tag to my blog  
> 2\. I run avac-screencaps, so getting your prompt was just... fate.  
> 3\. I wrote a poetry-based one last year, so why not again?  
> 4\. Mutual pining.   
> 5\. This one, I don't think matched your prompt like you imagined it. I kind of went on the side of the ridiculous  
> 6\. You'll recognise all of Bucky's poems from the game, except the last one. That one's mine.  
> 7\. Enjoy

 

_ We hunted them, they found us first. _

_ You’re an angel, I’m the worst. _

_ They called us blessed, but we were cursed. _

_ Death is coming, I’ll go first. _

 

“When did Barnes start wearing capes?” Tony frowned, leaning down to pick up the rose that Bucky had thrown at him before disappearing.

Jan shrugged, typing on her phone. “Not sure. Been too busy focusing on  _ your  _ thing.”

“My thing,” Tony repeated, shaking his head.

About a month ago, Tony had gone into the Time Fog in order to gather more readings. He had even modified the armour to better withstand the Time Fog’s unknown qualities.

(And just a reminder? The Time Fog is unpredictable. Trying to protect against the unknown? Kind of hard. Tony thought that  _ any  _ protection he could get deserved a special mention.)

After his excursion, he returned to the Quad sans armour. Frowning, he had been thoroughly confused, until a magical scroll appeared in front of him. 

 

_ Your armour gone _

_ Was always the plan _

_ Words in a multiple of one _

_ Allow you to don it again _

_ Remember them well _

_ For they’ll help you for sure _

_ All your fear you should quell _

_ Glitter be your cure _

 

_ Two and four and six and eight _

_ I know my armour is very great _

_ One and three and five and seven _

_ With my armour I am in heaven _

 

_ These are your words _

_ Remember them well _

_ With the voice of the greatest songbirds _

_ You will enact this ancient spell _

 

“What’s the worst that can happen?” Tony had asked himself, reciting the words with “the voice of the greatest songbirds.”

The worst, as it turned out, was the shower of glitter that rained down around him as he was lifted into the air. He was surrounded with glitter and stars, and a blinding light, before his armour formed around his body.

“J? Is this permanent?”

“It would appear so; I have no control over the armour.”

~

“My thing,” Tony repeated, shaking his head as he lifted up the rose again. “But surely Barnes’s thing is  _ weirder _ ?”

Jan put her phone in her pocket, standing in front of Tony and putting her hands on his shoulders. She stood on her toes to look into his eyes. “Which do I think is weirder: Barnes reciting poetry and wearing a cape, or you having to recite  _ that thing  _ in order to take your armour on and off?”

“Well when you put it like that…”

 

~

 

_ We both felt pain, but you were strong. _

_ You’re right as rain, I’m always wrong. _

_ They washed my brain, and you were gone. _

_ You saved the day, I wrote this song. _

 

Tony watched as Bucky walked over to him, holding out a rose. Tony took it, and Bucky turned away, cape waving in the wind.

“Another rose?” Natasha asked.

Tony nodded, looking at the rose from every angle. “Another rose. Lavender. Wonder what it could mean.”

“I wonder,” Natasha echoed, looking at Tony in what he was sure was a significant look.

“What?”

Natasha shook her head, looping her arm through Tony’s. “Come on, we’ve got things to do.”

“Other than pining,” she added under the breath.

“What was that?”

“Hmm? Nothing, nothing.”

 

~

 

“Sam.”

Sam looked up from his book on  _ Bird calls,  _ frowning at Bucky. “What is it?”

Bucky was staring at a piece of paper, pen in hand, almost frowning. “What word rhymes with assassination?”

Sam put down his book, confused by Bucky’s question. “Assassination. Why are we rhyming assassination?”

Bucky looked at Sam for a moment, before shaking his head and turning back to his paper. “You’re right; free is a better word.”

Sam watched Bucky’s pen practically  _ fly  _ across the paper, before he stood up and left their dorm room. He shrugged, turning back to his book. 

  
~

 

_ We were trapped, they set us free. _

_ I was blind, but you could see. _

_ The dark is cold, and so are we. _

_ I might forget, remember me _

 

It was his best poem yet, so  _ why  _ was he so nervous about how Tony would react? Bucky had done what he did every time; recite the poem, throw a rose, disappear. 

He was standing behind a bush (which was, honestly, too big for it’s own good, almost like it was hiding  _ multiple people  _ within it), watching Tony frown at the rose.

The previous times, Tony had been accompanied by either Jan or Natasha. Bucky knew  _ they  _ knew what he was trying to do. Unfortunately, Tony did not. He stood there, staring at the rose in his hands.

“I recommend a brick.”

Bucky did not jump; he turned a scowl onto Loki, standing behind him with an amused expression. 

“A brick?”

Loki nodded, producing one out of thin air. “Hit him with it; he won’t miss it. Unlike your poems, which I fear are going over his head.”

“You’ve been watching me.”

Loki shook their head, sending the brick away in a cloud of green smoke. “ _ I  _ haven’t, persay. But Amora has. Jan. Satana. Angela. Sam. Steve. Jan. Na-”

Bucky held up a hand. “Fine. You’re all watching us. Why?”

Loki thought for a moment, tapping their lips. “You could say you are our…  _ otp _ ? Is that the phrase?”

“OTP?”

Loki shrugged. “No idea. If it would help expedite matters…” Loki leant in as though sharing a huge secret. “He won’t reject you.”

Bucky felt his eyes widen. “He won’t?”

Loki shook their head again, before standing up straight again. “Nope. I suggest the Quad, seven pm this evening. Now I have other things to do, such as looking for former minions of invading forces.”

The bush they were behind rustled nervously.

 

~

 

Tony was restocking his cheese fridge ( _ Why did I ever think it’d be a good idea to give  _ Clint  _ and  _ Patsy  _ access? _ ) when he  _ felt  _ the change in air pressure.

“Hello Loki.”

When he turned around, Loki was pouting. “It’s no fun when you’re not scared by it.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “I was scared the first hundred times; I can now sense the change in air pressure.”

Loki’s expression turned contemplative. “Hmm, I must remember that. No matter. I am here to solve your troubles.”

“You figured out how to fix my armour?”

Loki frowned. “No, I did not realise that was a thing.”

Tony gave Loki an unimpressed look. “Really.”

Loki waved a hand. “The  _ other  _ thing then. Your, how did Jan put it….  _ Mutual pining. _ ”

“Mutual…  _ what now _ ?”

“Jan did say you might express confusion,” Loki sighed. “Be at the Quad at seven. JARVIS?”

“I shall remind him.”

“Thank you,” Loki smiled at Tony’s narrowed eyes. “What?”

“When did you get so chummy with JARVIS?”

Loki merely smiled before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. 

“That wasn’t an answer,” Tony muttered, before turning his attention to JARVIS. “When did the two of you get so chummy?”

“Plausible deniability sir. You are to be at the Quad at seven, in two hours.”

 

~

 

 

Bucky got to the Quad a few minutes before seven. It was  _ empty _ , which never happened. 

Ever.

He had been here a year, and the Quad  _ always  _ had people on it. 

_ Maybe Loki had something to do with it. _

Bucky pulled his guitar out from under his cape, and began warming up. He practised his poem, the one he had been working on since Loki had appeared this afternoon. 

 

_ Bare your soul _

_ Get physical _

_ We are both on a hard roll _

_ To have your heart is my only goal _

 

“Does physical rhyme with soul?”

Bucky looked up; he had become so focused on his guitar, he hadn’t even noticed Tony arrive. 

“When you say it right, it does.”

Tony thought about that for a moment, moving the words around his tongue as he stepped closer. “I suppose you may be right. Any particular audience for that poem?”

Bucky put his guitar back under his cloak; when his hand came back out, he had another rose for Tony.

“For you.”

Tony reached out for the rose, but paused just before taking hold. “If I take this, will you disappear?”

Bucky shook his head. “Not unless you want me to.”

“I don’t want you to,” Tony whispered. The two stood there, staring into each other’s eyes. 

“JUST KISS!”

Both of them blinked and looked around; the Quad was as empty as it had been before. 

But now the word was in the air, it seemed the only conclusion.

“A kiss?” Tony asked, taking the rose and holding it to his chest.

Bucky’s lips turned up a little, taking a step closer to Tony. “Makes sense.”

“I’m all about making sense,” Tony began speaking again. “Sense, sense, always good to-”

“Tony.”

“Yes?”

“Stop talking now?”

“Okay.”

 

~

 

Their kiss was broken when the Academy’s Invasion Alarm went off (right on cue).

They stood in each other’s arms as the campus came alive again, only having eyes for each other. 

“Should you go and get your armour?”

Tony shook his head. “Time fog did a thing to it, it comes to me.”

Tony stepped out of Bucky’s reach. “Trust me, you  _ don’t  _ want the glitter.”

 

_ Two and four and six and eight _

_ I know my armour is very great _

_ One and three and five and seven _

_ With my armour I am in heaven _

 

Tony stood with his arms out, waiting for the armour to materialise.

“Maybe you should leave the rhyming to me?”

Tony frowned at Bucky. “No, it’s been like this for  _ months  _ now. Why isn’t it working?”

Bucky shrugged, his own cape having mysteriously vanished. “Who knows?”

“We do.”

Tony turned; Jan, Natasha, and Loki were standing there, amused expressions on their faces. 

“We’re listening.”

“You two were pining  _ so much  _ even the Time Fog intervened,” Jan smiled. “It got you two to admit your feelings for one another, so now your armour is back to normal, and you won’t be wearing a cape everywhere.”

“Unless he wants to.”

“Unless he wants to, thanks Nat.”

“The Time Fog did this,” Tony echoed, turning to Bucky.

“I’m not buying it either.”

Both turned to Loki, who held up their hands. “ _ I  _ had nothing to do with this. I remind you both, I am far from the  _ only  _ magic user on campus.”

“And I would like to remind you both,” Sam flew past, stopping overhead. “You  _ five  _ in fact, that we have an invasion happening right now. Suit up!”

Tony rolled his eyes. “When  _ aren’t  _ we being invaded.”

“True,” Bucky pulled Tony closer, pressing a kiss to Tony’s cheek. “But we should at least make an effort.”

_ That kiss _ , more than the first, was what made Tony blush.

“Right, uh, I have armour in the Tower. I’ll go get that.”

“Wonderful,” Jan clapped, before shrinking down. “Avengers Assemble!”

Loki and Natasha rolled their eyes in  _ perfect unison,  _ but followed Jan. Bucky gave Tony another kiss, before running off after Sam. 

“Talk later?”

“I’m sure we will!” Tony smiled, running off to the Tower.

_ And if not, the ‘Time Fog’ will probably intervene. Again.  _

“Maybe it would be best to  _ not  _ let your pining reach levels that force the Time Fog to intervene.”

Tony frowned as he put on an older suit of armour. “JARVIS?”

“Yes?”

“Stop letting Loki influence how you talk.”

“I do not choose who influences me.”

Tony sighed, closing the last bit of armour. “Alright, what are we fighting this month?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :D

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed :D


End file.
